Meikirch model
Health as a complex adaptive system
According to the Meikirch model health is a „complex adaptive system“. In science this term describes a system that is nonlinear. This implies that influences on the system from the outside do not act in proportion to their strength. Even significant positive forces do necessarily improve health and negative influences may not force the system towards disease. Yet, sometimes minimal stimuli may lead to very strong repercussions.
According to the Meikirch model health consists of five components:
- Demands of life
- Biologically given potential
- Personally acquired potential
- Social determinants of health
- Environmental determinants of health
These five components are interacting with each other by ten complex interactions.
Well-functioning cooperation enables health
Whenever the five components and the ten complex interactions (double arrows) cooperate in a purposeful way, health may result. More specifically, a person is healthy, if by the two potentials she or he is in a position to respond satisfactorily to the demands of life.
In depth description of the Meikirch model
Johannes Bircher, Eckhart G. Hahn
F1000Research 2016, 5:167 (doi: 10.12688/f1000research.7849.1) pdf
Health and Disease